The River (Book 3 of The Claiming Series)

Prologue

Belle

***

Sunny days have always been my favorite. Everything that the sun shines on becomes warm and relaxed, and everyone seems to be in a much better mood.

I lean back on one arm when the familiar backache arises. My other hand runs up and down my very pregnant stomach.

Mave's chiming giggle sounds from further down the grassy hill where we've gathered for our picnic with Riah, Chance, Anthony, and his wife Angel. And all the children.

Mave, Charlie, and Anthony's kids Ruth and Eli chase each other up and down the hill, stumbling and laughing and running. I can't take my eyes off my beautiful daughter, leaping over rocks and bumps in the earth. I can't believe I made that.

"Any day now, Belle, right?" Angel asks in her sweet, soft-spoken voice.

I finally peel my eyes off of Mave and face my company. "Yeah," I say. "Hopefully in the next few weeks."

"Names?"

I shake my head. "We don't even know what we're having."

Alec nudges me from where he sits close to my side. "I wanted to be surprised this time. We'll figure out names when he or she is here."

I roll my eyes. "I really did want to know, though," I grumble. "I wanted to paint the room, get everything ready..."

"We'll do that later," Alec says teasingly.

He's right, though. The baby will sleep in our room for quite some time.

"How do you like the new place?" Anthony asks.

It's so weird seeing the king of New Athens in such casual circumstances. After we found out Angel and I were pregnant at the same time ten years ago, we were all of a sudden good friends. And then, of course, Anthony feels as if he owes us some kind of debt. He moved us to a new house free of charge in a more prestigious neighborhood with a big backyard and two floors. Five bedrooms. It's a bit excessive, but Alec does want our family to grow.

How do I tell him I'm ready to cap it off after this little one?

"We love it," I tell him gratefully. "Thank you. Mave loves her new room and all the places to hide."

"What does Mave think of the baby on the way?" Riah asks. She sits beside me with a half-eaten sandwich in her hands.

I shrug. "I don't think she completely knows how much this'll change our lives, but she is excited in a way."

"What does she hope it is?"

I laugh. "She says she doesn't care, but I think she wants it to be a girl."

Angel sighs. "They tend to wish for that. Lily was so disappointed when she found out I was having Eli. She was excited for Ruth, though."

I laugh. "Maybe it's good we don't know what we're having. That way when the baby's here, she'll fall in love with whatever it is right away, regardless."

We fall silent for a little bit, watching our kids play joyfully in the meadow in front of Anthony and Angel's summer chateau.

Then Anthony's voice cuts in. "We think we've solved the problem with the recent threats from Bayfell."

My heart drops to my stomach in a sickening, curdling way. This is not what I wanted to discuss on a beautiful day like this.

"Oh?"

Alec's arm wraps around my waist and pulls me closer to his side.

"As you know, the queen had a daughter with Walden who is about our children's ages. She said she would stop her forces from attacking the outlaying towns if we united our kingdoms in eight years' time."